


What an Expensive Fate

by Aspiro



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Batfamily Feels, How Do I Tag, I Tried, Jason Todd - Freeform, My First Work in This Fandom, Sad with a Happy Ending, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Tim Drake-centric, based on a prompt, batfam, batfamily, jason is in this, tim drake - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-03 00:19:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16315472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspiro/pseuds/Aspiro
Summary: Jason is a dramatic bitch. Patrol goes wrong. Tim is a sad boi. Everything goes wrong.*will have swearing, just so you know(please provide me with constructive criticism, I really need to work on my English, I promise I wont be upset) btw if anyone wants to write a summary for me that would be great





	What an Expensive Fate

**Author's Note:**

> tim has really low self eteem, idk if that may upset some people

Jason didn’t even remember what they were fighting about. If he was honest, he was just being dramatic. But if he was known for one thing, it was holding a grudge for an absurdly long time, especially if that grudge was against his replacement, which would explain why he hadn’t talked to Tim for _months._ It would also be his excuse for not picking up the phone when it flashed with Tim’s caller ID. Even though they were meant to patrol together. Even though he could be in trouble. Even though he _knew_ he would regret it, when he got harassed by Dick about it. But he still didn’t pick up. Not the first time, the second time or the fifth time. He just let his phone ring out, until it stopped ringing.

 

 

Tim knew exactly what their fight was about. He remembered in perfect detail the events of that night.

_He ignored Scarecrow’s goons, instead focusing on the bomb, knowing that his family had his back. He knew that he was the only one capable of dismantling it before the timer ran out, releasing a brand-new cocktail of toxins into Central Gotham, poisoning half the city. He barely focused on his family tying up the last of the goons. The stress of the ticking clock, (and if he was being honest, his lack of sleep) meant that he didn’t realise when one of the henchmen sent a bullet flying his way, in a last-ditch effort to make sure the scarecrow’s plans were carried out. Luckily for him, Red Hood did recognise the stray bullet, and dived in front, taking the bullet right as Tim shut off the bomb. Tim heard the cry of pain, and whipped around to spot the Red Hood, on the floor, with a bullet in his side that was meant for him._

_After a solid chewing out (about being aware of his surroundings) from Batman back at the cave , he was well and truly ready to collapse on his bed and enter sleep-like-coma. With his luck (or lack thereof) he was cornered by Jason._

He and Jason had fought, stormed off, and now, almost two months later, they still hadn’t said a word to each other. That was why Tim hesitated before calling Jason to meet up for their scheduled patrol together. That was why Tim didn’t call Jason early that night. Oh, how he _regretted_ that.

 

 

Swinging through Central Gotham is therapeutic for Tim. Beating up a gang is therapeutic for Tim. What isn’t therapeutic however, is when a strangely muscle-y drug runner gets in a lucky hit, and suddenly Red Robin is lying on the ground, having the everloving shit kicked out of him. What is even worse however, is knowing that Batman isn’t coming. Red Hood was meant to have his back tonight, (which is what Batman and Nightwing thought was happening) but he doesn’t. So, when one of the crooks pulls a knife, he is genuinely afraid. In a distant part of his brain, (one of the only parts that isn’t just screaming PAINPAINPAIN) he muses on the fact that maybe he should have swallowed his pride and asked Jason to patrol with him, or Dick, or even _Damian_ (Was he really that desperate?  He decided that yes, he was) He is snapped back to reality when aforementioned crook stabs him twice, while his buddies continue trying to turn his skin black and blue. There’s only so much pain someone can handle, and Tim has reached that stage. He blacks out.

When he wakes, about 5 minutes later, the gang is gone. He manages to push through the pain fogging his mind, and decide to at least try to hide behind a dumpster before he calls for help.

His comms are down. Obviously. Why would anything work out for Tim?

He fumbles through his pocket, and digs out his cell phone, the one that he uses for vigilante stuff. Everyone would have left their phones at home, everyone but Jason, so that’s who he calls. Jason, _the fucker_ , doesn’t pick up. Tim leaves a message. “Hood. Its me. Ti.. Red Robin. I, um, got into a fight. I need your help. I’m somewhere in downtown Gotham, right near where we drank those weird ass smoothies that one time.” dimly, he recognises his racing heart and sluggish thinking as blood loss. “I really need your help Hood, I don’t have much blood. It's all on the ground. Ha. I gotta go. Call me if you hear this…bye” He hangs up and tries to quell the fear in his heart. “Someone will find me, I won’t die here. Someone will find me, I won’t die alone”. He repeats the mantra under his breath, and tries Hood again.

It goes to voicemail, of course.

“Heyyy Hoodie, its me again…. I kinda need you to pick up.” He pauses for a beat, then continues. “I’m not feeling that great… and I can’t get B or ‘Wing. Jay, please pick up, I don’t wanna be here alone, I..I... Just… call me back, _please._ ” He hangs up.

Tim lies there, in the grimy alleyway, staring up at the sky. He sees the puddle of blood surrounding him, and he knows that’s not a good thing. He’s desperate now. He calls again

He isn’t even surprised when the automated voice tells him to leave a message.

“Jason, please. I know you hate me, but I just need you to pick up. Please pick up. I don’t have much more time… I don’t care if you never speak to me again, I just don’t want to die is this gross alley. Jason.. please” he stares at the phone for a minute, and hangs up. He sits there.

He’s still sitting there.

More out of habit than actual hope, he calls Jason again.

He’s still sitting there while it goes through to voicemail.

“Jason…. Jay…” he stops, and clears his throat “Jason, I’m sorry if I did anything to make you hate me, but, please, even you can’t leave me here to die right??  ‘cos that’s what’s gonna happen soon. I’m gonna die, here surrounded by trash...” he starts sobbing “please please please jay, I don’t wanna die. I don’t! please, don’t let me die, I don’t want to die!! I’ll fucking leave the family I’ll do anything, I’ll fake my death just please! Don’t. Leave. Me. Here, to die alone!” He’s hysterical. He can’t stop saying the same thing, over, and over, and over again. He knows that he isn’t a real Wayne, he’s known for a while, he knows that he just isn’t part of the black-haired blue-eyed clique, even though he fits the requirements. He sees it when they have movie nights, and he isn’t invited. They train together, and he is still working on a case in his room, in the dark. All three of them, sprawled out over Dick’s bed, and he won’t fit as well. Dick took Robin from him, and gave it to the brat.

But surely they, the defenders of Gotham, wouldn’t leave even him to bleed out in a grimy alley way? Right?

Then again why would they give a shit about a replacement, and a shitty one at that. He forced his way into the family, so why would they stop him from leaving again?? Jason already tried to kill him, so why would he help him now?

For the final time, Tim presses the dial button.

When it rings through, again, Tim is silent for what seems like forever. Then, he speaks.

“Hey. Umm, its me again. I guess that there isn’t much point in calling again, but I… I don’t even know. I guess that I wont see you again… and… bye, I guess? Thanks for um… only tryin’ to kill me once? Or was it twice? Anyway. I just want to say- ”

He is cut off by the tone, telling him he took up too much time. He sits in silence, tears streaming down his face, until his vision begins to blur, and then, he’s gone.

 

 

Jason is woken by his phone ringing. The caller ID informs him that it’s Dick, so he answers.

“Dick-face, it’s 3 in the morning. Why the fuck are you calling?”

As usual, Dick’s voice is far too cheery for the unhuman hour that he was calling.

“Hi Jay-Bird! Just wondering if you’ve seen Timbo, he didn’t show up after his patrol with you, and I just wanted to make sure he was ok. Is he with you?”

Jason frowned. “I didn’t patrol with Tim… I thought he was with you?” he felt dread settling in his gut.

“he said he was going with you... if he's not with you, where is he?” even Dick, ever the optimist, sounded worried by now.

“Are you sure he patrolled? Is he in his nest?” Jason was beginning to feel frantic.

“He told me when he left, and Cass checked his nest… I think we should go try and find him. Do you want to come?”

Jason was silent for a moment, thinking back to his missed calls from Tim. “yeah, but I’ll catch up. I have...something I gotta do first”

"sure” Dick sounded unsure. “I’ll see you?”

“yeah” Jason said absently, then hung up, immediately dialing his voicemail.

Tim’s wavering voice filtered through his phones speaker

“Hood. Its me. Ti.. Red Robin. I, um, got into a fight. I need your help. I’m somewhere in downtown Gotham, right near where we drank those weird ass smoothies that one time.” he pauses for a moment. Jason does recall the smoothies. “I really need your help Hood, I don’t have much blood. It's all on the ground. Ha. I gotta go. Call me if you hear this…bye”

Jason’s heart sinks lower than ever before.

The automated voice rings in his ears: “you have four new voicemails. Would you like to play them?”

Jason takes the phone away from his ear, and calls Dick.

“Dick… He’s on the corner of East and Mason street. I’ll meet you there.” He hangs up and launches himself out the window.

 

 

When he arrives, he can’t find Tim. He starts frantically searching, and is soon joined by Nightwing, Robin, Black Bat, Batgirl and Batman. Jason walks down an alley, while the others search the rooftops and the main street. The first thing he notices is the smell of iron, then the massive amount of blood on the street, surely more than any man can afford to lose. He follows the puddle to behind a dumpster, and he pulls it away. When he sees Tim, he stumbles back. Tim looks deathly pale, and he doesn’t seem to be breathing. Jason calls the other over, still in shock.

The rest of the night passes in a blur, until he is sitting in the Batcave, surrounded by his family. Tim is nearby, with wires connected to his arms, and the steady beat of the heart monitor going off.

Jason numbly remembers the voicemails, and in order to torture himself more, decides to listen to them. When Tim’s voice feed through the speaker, he sees everyone listen in.

“Heyyy Hoodie, its me again…. I kinda need you to pick up.” He pauses for a beat, then continues. “I’m not feeling that great… and I can’t get B or ‘Wing. Jay, please pick up, I don’t wanna be here alone, I..I... Just… call me back,  _please._ ” Jason looks up, his face pale. he notices that everyone has shifted closer.

He stays still, until the next voicemail plays

“Jason, please. I know you hate me, but I just need you to pick up. Please pick up. I don’t have much more time… I don’t care if you never speak to me again, I just don’t want to die is this gross alley. Jason... please”

Jason looks at his family. Dick has his hand over his mouth. Damian is trying to look unconcerned, but everyone sees through it. Bruce moves to take the phone off Jason, but he waves him off.

The next voicemail plays.

“Jason…. Jay…” he stops, and clears his throat “Jason, I’m sorry if I did anything to make you hate me, but, please, even you can’t leave me here to die right??  ‘cos that’s what’s gonna happen soon. I’m gonna die, here surrounded by trash...” he starts sobbing. Jason’s heart brakes. He sees Bruce pale, and Dick chokes back a sob. Cass is looking solemn, comforting a silently crying Steph. Damian looks sick. Tim continues.

“Please please please jay, I don’t wanna die. I don’t! please, don’t let me die, I don’t want to die!! I’ll fucking leave the family I’ll do anything, I’ll fake my death just please! Don’t. Leave. Me. Here, to die alone!”Tim’s hysterical.

Jason has tears streaming down his face, Dick is hugging Damian, who looks of the verge of tears. Steph and Cass are holding hands, and Cass is whispering to Steph. Even Bruce, _the Batman_ , has watery eyes.

The beep to end the voicemail sounds. Jason plays the next one.

Tim is silent for a minute, then he speaks. He sounds hopeless.

“Hey. Umm, its me again. I guess that there isn’t much point in calling again, but I… I don’t even know. I guess that I wont see you again… and… bye, I guess? Thanks for um… only tryin’ to kill me once? Or was it twice? Anyway. I just want to say- ”

The voicemail ends.

The heart monitor stops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> yeet.  
> this isn't the end. i haven't decided if i will kill Tim off or not yet, but i will be sure soon. hopefully i remember to post chapter 2 sooner rather than later. please comment and tell me what you think, it will probably motivate me to write part 2.  
> also, if anyone has any prompts, please send them to me, i need ideas to write with. thanks xx


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